Tough questions raised over badger cull
The annual meeting of the Farmers Union of Wales Carmarthenshire county branch saw lively debate over the Welsh Government's decision to vaccinate rather than cull badgers.
Members of the Union unanimously believed that, by giving in to the Badger Trust, the Government had opted for the softer, 'safer' option rather than listening to the scientific reports and results, and asked the panel - which included Llanelli's Labour AM Keith Davies - whether the move was being used more as a "Politician Protection Act."
County executive officer Meinir Bartlett said: "The question certainly created a heated debate with Mr Davies given a rough time."
She added: "It was felt farmers should use the same tactics as the Badger Trust and show photographs of cattle being slaughtered and the dramatic effect it was having on family farms."
Another contentious issue raised at the meeting was the creation next April of a new single body following the merger of Environment Agency Wales, Countryside Council for Wales and Forestry Commission Wales, which also proved a cause for "unanimous concern."
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
